Electric locomotive



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet; 1. R. EICKEMBYER. ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE No.480,918. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. EIGKEMEYER. ELECTRIC LOGOMOTIVE.

No. 480,918. Patented Au 16, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE EICKE- MEYERFIELD COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK.

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,918, dated August16, 1892.

Application filed December 21, 1889. Serial No. 334,487- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Locomotives; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnishedand forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and completedescription of my invention.

In my pending application for patent filed January 28, 1889, Serial No.297,775, I disclosed certain improvements in electric cars orlocomotives involving the carrying of the electric motor beneath and bythe sill-frame of the car, but the motor and gearing were so organizedas to necessitate either small wheels on the driving-axle or anunduly-elevated carfloor.

My present improvements have been devised with a View to securing thoseadvantages which accrue from mounting an electric motor so that it willbe carried by and be suspended fromthe sill-framingof a truck or acarbody in connection with the use of car-wheels of the usual sizes onthe driving-axle or even larger than usual without any need of havingthe bottom of the car located at any greater height from the rails thanin ordinary cars. For accomplishing said ends I have so mounted orsecured the electric motor to the under side of the car-body orsill-frame as to locate the armature-shaft substantially in the samehorizontal plane as that occupied by the caraxles and connected one ofsaid axles with the counter-shaft by means of gearing, the counter-shaftbeing located between the axle and the armature-shaft in the samehorizontal plane. I have also organized the motor and gearing withspecial reference to smooth and easy operation, as well as to securegreat strength and durability, and after describing my improvements indetail the features deemed novel will be specified in the severalclauses of claim hereunto'annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 in plan view illustrates thesill-framing of a car or truck with my said improvements appliedthereto,the latter being partially in top view and partially inhorizontal section. Fig. 2 illustrates the same in longitudinal verticalsection on line to, Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 illustrate the same incross-vertical section, respectively on lines or, y, and 2. Figs. 6 to10, inclusive, illustrate certain coupling arms and links employed forflexibly bracing the motor-from a gear-frame and for connecting thecranks by which power is communicated from the motor-shaft to thecounter-shaft and its gearing.

The sill or truck framing of a locomotive or car may be widely varied inits character so long as it aifords a proper support for the electricmotor. As here shown, said framing A consists of side pieces, endpieces, and a heavy centrally-located cross-piece a, braced at its ends,as at 0., to afford a suitable support for the electric motor. Thetruck-frame is mounted, as usual, on the car-axles and with springsapplied in the ordinary manner, the wheels and axles a differing fromthose of ordinary cars onlyso far as maybe deemed proper in the matterof strength.

The electric motors preferably used by me are of the type disclosed inmy Letters Patent No. 358,340, and they are also described in my saidpending application for patent, Serial No. 297,775, said machines beingso organized as to develop but little, if any, external magnetic field.

The electric motor B is firmly secured to and pendent from the heavycross-piece a, with the armatureshaft b located in the same horizontalplane as that occupied by the caraxle o to which the power is applied byway of a counter-shaft O, a pinion c thereon, and. a large gear 61,carried centrally on the axle a the armature-shaft and the counter-shaftbeing operatively connected at one or both ends by crank-disks e e e eand coupling-links f f, of which twoforms are shown in Figs. 7 and 8,the latter f being further shown in Figs. 1, 9, and 10, and thesewill behereinafalso the counter-shaft, except its two ends, the bearingsforsaid shaft being afforded by two bushings g g, which are clamped andheld between the two halves of the casing, the latter being divided on ahorizontal line and bolted together, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and2.

For firmly maintaining the casing and the counter-shaft in their properpositions with relation to the axle and to the motor-shaft b said casingor gear-frame, being wholly supported by the geared axle, is well bracedby means of pendent hanger h on the forward axle and a brace plate orbeam h extended from the bottom of said hanger and rigidly bolted to theside of a pendent web 71. 011 the gear frame or casing.

:It will beseen that the electric-motor is carried by thespring-supported truck-frame, and it is therefore free to rise and falland to tilt wholly independently of the car-axles, and

ments being liable to occur without a corresponding movement of thecar-body and n1otor; but notwithstandingthese independent capacities formovement the motor is flexibly braced from the casing and counter-shaft.by means of coupling-arms 11 2' near each end of said shaft. Each ofthese arms 11 has at one end a cylindrical box or sleeve 11', which isfitted to the exterior of a bushing g and at the other end a ball-socketbox '6 which is fitted to a ball-bearing b, sleeved uponthearmature-shaft b, as specially illustrated in Fig. 10. These arms 91'5 therefore serve as bracearms, which prevent the electric motor fromunduly straining at the bolts by which it is suspended and permit themotor to rise and fall or to tilt with the car-body, and they alsorelieve the coupling-links f from strains other than those involved inthe transmission of power, and should toothed gearing be employed fordriving the counter-shaft the importance of these flexibly-bracing armswould be still more apparent.

It will be seen that the coupling-brace.

arms can be subjected to no torsional strains, and as this is equallyimportant with respect of thecoupling-links f or f, each at one end.

has acylindrical box f for the crank-pin on the crank-disk of thecounter-shaft and at its other end a globular box f which engages with aball-bearing sleeve f on the.

crank-pin of the disk on the motor-shaft b, as clearly indicated in Fig.10. With these parts thus organized the electric motor isnot exposed toinjury resulting from the shocks or jars necessarily borne by thewheels, axles, and gearing, and during the swaying or rocking of thecar-body or truck-frame with the electric motor power is transmittedsmoothly and effectively to the counter-shaft, and thence to thecar-axle.

Referring now to the frame or casing D it will be seen that its functionas a casing for the gearing is quite subordinate to it function as aframe, inasmuch as if it be so constructed that it can perform itslatter function only theproper inclosure of the gearing can be readilyaccomplished by mounting upon said frame suitable sheet-iron or evenwooden casings. Considered purely as a gear-frame, carried wholly by thegeared axle, those portions thereof are essential, by means of which thecounter-shaftis held in a line parallel with the axle, and that pendentportion or web below the axle, (and also below the counter-shaft,) towhich the brace plate or beam h is bolted, for preventing the frame Dfrom rotation onthe axle and maintaining it in its proper position. Thisfeature of suspending the motor from the truckframe between the axlesand bracing the gear-frame from the second axle is novel and of specialvalue, although said gear-frame may be otherwise braced withoutdeparture from certain portions of my invention. In some cases twoelectric motors are employed, one for each axle, and then the brace h isduplicated for the second gear-frame.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In an electric locomotive or car, the combination,substantially as hereinbefore described, of a car-axle, an electricmotor secured to and pendent from the truck-frame or bottom of thecarand .having its armature shaft substantially in the horizontal planeoccupied by the axle, a counter-shaft driven by said motor and carriedbythe axle in the same planeand between the axle and motor, and gearingconnecting the countershaft-and. axle.

2. In an electric locomotive or car, the combination of an electricmotor secured to and pendent from the truck-frame, an axle, acounter-shaft driven by the motor and geared to said axle, a gear-framewhich is carried by the axle and supports the counter-shaft andmaintains it in' the same horizontal plane and parallel with said axle,and hinged arms for flexibly bracing the motor from the gearframe.

3. In an electric locomotive or car, the combination, substantially ashereinbefore described, of a truck-frame, a motor suspended from saidtruck frame between the axles, a counter-shaft driven by the electricmotor and geared to one of a pair of car-axles, and a gear frame whichis carried wholly by the geared axle and braced against rotation thereonby means of a brace extending to and connected with the second axle.

4. In an electric locomotive or car, the combination of a counter-shaftgeared to an axle,

supported thereon and provided witha crank, pin of the counter-shaft,substantially as dean electric motor supported by 2, springscribed.mounted frame and having on its armatureshaft a, crank, and aconnecting-link having RUDOLF EICKEMEYhR' at one end a ball-bearingsleeved upon the Witnesses:

crank-pin of the armature-shaft and at the R. EIOKEMEYER, J12,

other end a cylindrical bearing for the crank- E. P. MOFFAT.

